Last Resort
by lasha
Summary: When you have no where to go, who do you turn to? And what do you do if they turn away? Harry and Ron through power of lurk, gather Hogwarts and Severus Snape were Jess's last resort... Read and Review.
1. A Beginning

**Disclaimer: We don't own anything J.K Rowling related, we are playing in her backyard. Jess belongs to us, and more directly 'Lex. Applaud her genius and ****Review**

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**Last Resort******

Jess hated beginnings; in fact, she hated middles and ends as well.  It seemed that Jess hated a lot these days.  But, that wasn't of importance right now.  So, here she was, standing outside the most acclaimed school of witchcraft and wizardry ever known.  Jess thought dryly of that fact that as she was starting sixth year, it hardly seemed worth the bother, and the ten hour plane flight.  Ah well.  Jess sighed in a rather melancholy way, and ran her blank, black eyes over the turrets and stone walls before stepping into the cavernous hall.  When a tight lipped woman came hurrying towards her, Jess ran a hand self consciously over her dishevelled plait of light brown. The woman, plain as could be studied the child, as plain as can be.

"Miss Sn-."

"I know what my name is, thank you." 

The unfortunate Professor Mc Gonagall wondered if the sneer was a genetic trait.  "Ah, yes." She replied delicately, assuming that more than a facial expression was hereditary, "Under the…unique circumstances, we have granted your place at Hogwarts…you must understand the process which we sorted you…"

Once again, Jess cut in curtly, "I'm in Slytherin, aren't I?" The professor nodded, "That's good."

How convenient, Mc Gonagall thought, interested in her younger colleague's reaction to finding how this fiery young lady resembled him. She might have liked to cut that crackpot hat up.

She was taken straight to her cage, metaphorically speaking of course, the Slytherin Common Room.

Once inside, Jess glared around at the multitude of school students running around like beheaded chickens, before sinking into an abandoned armchair which was side on to the entrance.  Minutes later, another entrance was made.  One which commanded a lot more attention.

"RIGHT! Malfoy, get off that chair this instant, Rosier put that down, Parkinson don't encourage him!.. Now, GET TO BED!...." When the common room went into a simultaneous blink the Slytherin Head added- "NOW!"

Jess had frozen, and not out of fear at the insane screaming of the professor.  She _knew that voice.  Completely apart from the fact that she had been five when she'd last heard it…"__Uncle?" She said incredulously, her voice ringing in the pending silence. _

Shifting into a position that showed his irritation Professor Snape looked around the common room at the innocent faces of his Slytherin students.

"Not quite but you still must obey and GET TO-" Professor Snape stopped. The students were already wincing, at the unfinished sentence, completing it in their heads.

Apparently his gaze had reached the sulking figure of Jess.

Silence rang so deafening it was irritating Draco Malfoy, who was indeed hanging around for the amusement of hearing Professor Snape torture some one.

Aforementioned Professor was staring at yes, his niece, absolutely horrified.

His last memories, well really only memories, of her were when she was an infant and then a child of 5 turns. She'd drooled on him, and then became a screaming banshee. Not grounds to bond on.

His brother missed the memo, he didn't like children.

"In my office now, _Jessica." _

Draco sighed impatiently; he'd missed whatever she had done. To be called to the Professor's office would involve something big. 

Jess glared coolly back.  "No."

In a voice of dangerous quiet he repeated his request with force, a little more strongly worded.

"Now! If you don't wish to find yourself on grave terms."

"No." Jess repeated, her cool tone melting into absolute loathing, "I will not.  I am not going to speak to you…In fact, I'm going to bed." With probably the first dismissal Snape had ever gotten from a student, she disappeared into the girl's dormitory.

Pansy had her fingers shoved in her mouth, in anticipation, thinking this could be the day the Professor turned a wand on a student. The rest of the common room took a few steps back to their respective dorm doors. With absolutely no change in attitude the professor flicked his eyes over the group and began to turn an enraged red. 

"I believe I told the lot of you, TO GET TO BED. THIS INSTANT."

A paper floated to the ground and the common room was deserted less than 5 seconds later. With everyone feeling that they'd generally missed something.

Pleased with the result of his request, Severus Snape turned his heel and left, off to break the Headmaster's door down, regardless of whether it was locked or not. He would simply because he could. After breaking the hinges, he'd take his newfound destructive skills and use them on the headmaster's neck. All of this played out in his mind as the girl, out of sight but not out of mind, plagued him.

The following day proved to be a fateful one, starting with the lesson of potions.  Jess had characteristically seated herself at the back, dubiously ignoring both Slytherins and Gryffindors, glaring around as if daring anyone to sit next to her, or in front of her, or anywhere within four feet of her. A pair of Gryffindors, practically sitting atop each other to keep as far away from her as possible cursed as they heard their potion master's characteristic stalk approaching the dungeons.

"Bloody hell Harry, elbow out of my abdomen."

"Doesn't this bastard get sick?.."

Hermione turned around in her seat. "Really Harry, using language like that doesn't change anything, no real wizard would respect you if you went shooting your mouth off like that."

Ron repeated 'Bastard' pointedly at the door just as Snape swept into the classroom. Jess scowled, gathered up her books and stood.  She swept in the identical way towards the door, making sure to stand on the toe of the boy whom had called her uncle a bastard on the way.  She made no sign of recognition towards Snape as she left, nor he to her.

"The nerve," the bushy haired Hermione commented to the nervous boy next to her about the girl.

Wincing Ron groaned openly falling onto Harry helplessly, knocking his charms book onto the floor...

"If she's got it in for me I'm done for-"

Professor Snape hadn't even paid Jess's little exit the slightest attention, as he glared at Mr. Weasly.

"Have you a problem Mr. Weasly? Share it with us? Or perhaps you need the acclaimed Harry Potter to speak for you." Both boys glared without fear, just as their Professor returned the look of hatred.

"Nothing,_ Professor." Ron drawled, adding 'greasy' in dark undertones, receiving a sharp deadly glare from Hermione._

"Yeah you don't have a crushed toe festering in your shoe now do you?"

As it happened, potions wasn't the only interesting lesson which Jess was subjected to that day.  Divination turned out to be an experience to remember.  It seemed that the staff had deliberately not told Professor Trelawney of Jess's particular ancestry, for reasons which were painfully obvious.

"Ah, my dear girl!" The insect glowed, "Your father! How is he faring?"

Jess sneered up at her teacher, "I expect he's doing rather well.  I haven't exactly heard from him since he _died."_

Just about every antennae shot up in the air, on the word died. Someone always died in the divination lessons. 

"Oh, how is your mother coping deary?"

"Heh heh, rather well, she's dead too."

"Eh..ah…Well, your grandmother?"

Jess sighed, wondering how long this would go on for, "Rotting in the ground, actually." Jess wondered just how creative she could get.

The professor looked slightly taken aback, but was not deterred. "Ah well, your Uncle then?"

Jess scowled, "How about you ask him, then?" She retorted coldly before stalking over to an empty table.

The 'insect',''beetle','thing' as she was termed, followed.

Meanwhile at their table the two Gryffindors exchanged looks. Ron looked triumphant.

"I caught that, I actually got that."

"Hurt did it?" Harry asked idly, mockingly.

They looked over at where Jess was seated.

"Your uncle, he's passed on too?" Trelawney asked gently, pursuing conversation.

"One can only hope."

"Then he is still alive?!"

"Unless he died in the last hour, yes, 'm afraid so."

Harry blinked, maybe she had rushed out of potions to get mail, or perhaps see her uncle... that explained everything. Ron looked at Neville who was counting on his fingers for reasons unknown. Yes, he'd missed the conversation, no use asking him squat.

The rest of the lesson passed in bursts of agonizing slow periods, followed by short bursts of speeding time.  Eventually, everyone filed down the ladder, Jess almost running Neville down as she scrambled to get _out as fast as humanly possible.  At the bottom of the ladder, Ron froze.  Harry gave him a look._

"Come on." He told Ron, "Not much point drifting around down here."

But Ron didn't move.  "Oh…SHIT." He said, "Jess's uncle is _Snape."_

"OH…shit, she's a Snapette, oh fuck…"

Waiting for them at the bottom, Hermione scowled as she approached them.

"You've a very limited vocabulary haven't you? Gutter mouths, I think you're mother should wash your mouth out Ron." She chided them, as the act came all too naturally to her.

Hurriedly Ron replied, "She did, I mean had, has, but that's not the point. Fess's un-"

"Jess. Continue." Hermione corrected.

"Yeah, Jess's uncle is Snape."

"Oh come on, the pair of you are ridiculous. You don't know that, plus we'll miss lunch if you two hang around here debating it all day."

Lunch or talking about Snape. Lunch.

Ravenously stuffing his face with potato salad, Ron mumbled over the masticated vegetable's, "Wvot we 'ave arfta runch."

Hermione replied testily, disgusted by Ron's table manners. "Charms."

"'Arry,'ave oo done your charms homework." He asked swallowing the load.

"Um, yeah, Flitwick's been a bit, merf lately, so I had too."

"Bugger, I haven't done mine." Ron shrugged, covering up his sense of foreboding about his impending doom and detention due homework, or lack of.

Harry sighed in defeat and rummaged in his bag for his book, seeing where this conversation would go. Hermione made a point of glaring, giving Harry the look that preceded the 'You've just given you're soul away' lecture.

"…. Hey its not here... Did you take it Ron?"

"Hey if I had you're book I wouldn't be asking if you'd done your homework. I'd pass it off for my own."

"Thanks,.. damnation I left it in the dungeons… where is that asshole?"

Scowling Hermione flicked a bit of potato at Harry, scanning the Head Table.

"He's left."

"Correction, leaving."

Ron gestured in the direction of the malevolent Professor dragging the unfortunate Jess from the hall forcefully.

"Who is he harassing?" 

"His niece."

"Don't start with that again Harry. She's probably in trouble, you jump to the silliest conclusions sometimes."

"She's violent! Like him."

"When has he been violent? To you anyway?"

"He hasn't yet.. But I bet he has a shovel and headstone with my name on it in his office."

"If he knocked you off do you really think he'd bother with a headstone, especially for you Ron?"

"Are we going to follow him or what?!"

Hermione glowered at the pair as they rose. "I'm not coming." She told them in a superior tone. "And I pray to Merlin that you grow up before you come back."

It wasn't hard to guess where Snape and Jess were headed.  And, sure enough, with their ears pressed to the door of Snape's office, they could hear the conversation inside.

"I _don't see why this is necessary." The cold, female voice rang out, clearly annoyed._

Professor Snape, well really, Severus Snape, or in this case, Uncle Severus, who didn't like to be questioned by conceited little brats, totally ignored her heated question and simply ordered. "Sit down."  The shuffle of feet told the eavesdroppers that, miraculously, Jess had obeyed.  But she didn't do it without comment.

"Why on earth do you need to talk to me so badly?  You haven't bothered for, how many years?"

"Don't flatter yourself. What do you call yourself these days? Jess? Frightfully inappropriate." He replied bluntly, circling the chair she was seated in, studying her critically.

Ron leaned over and whispered in Harry's ear, judging from the footsteps. "D'you reckon he was a shark in a previous life?"

Harry tutted and elbowed him sharply before extending his neck as though trying to press his head through the door.

"Inappropriate?" It seemed Jess's voice was becoming increasingly colder, "Call me what you will.  It doesn't mean I'll answer." Jess sighed, "While we're on the subject, I don't suppose I'm supposed to call _you anything.  Other than professor."_

Not inclined to submit to her interrogation Snape ignored her question instead countering with one of his own.

"Why are you here?"

"Because I have no where else." Jess said softly, "Because the orphanage burnt down."  Her voice resumed its hard undertone, "But why is that any concern to you?  Your hatred of my bearing your name is apparent.  Painfully so.  Why don't you disown me and be done with it?"

"Hold your tongue, before you say something you'll regret." He warned lingering for a few moments before sinking into his chair, safe behind his desk.

"Such as?" Jess replied bitterly.

He however had over ridden her words. "Your parents, Lutik and Hannah?" He questioned. It had to be said before he accepted it. He doubted very much Lutik would have sent his own daughter to an Orphanage, no matter how stark raving mad he might have once been.

Jess's voice went dead.  "Car crash, Severus.  Mother died on impact.  Father three hours later in hospital."

Nothing. He wasn't looking at her, he hadn't been to start with, he was gazing off blankly before he frowned. He considered her like she might have been a master of lying.  Jess had been staring at her knees, but looked up.  Among the deep mistrust and coldness in her eyes was a kind of desperate sadness.

"See?  Nowhere else.  I didn't want to come here any more than you wanted me to.

It was an answer; he wasn't completely sure what he'd do with this information now. He couldn't ignore the biological orphan, but he wasn't the sort of person for warm reunion and comforting, and obviously neither was Jessica. It was enough for the time being, for him in any case. He waved a hand settling back in his chair. "Go. Now"

And strangely enough, she went.  With no quips, no snide comments.  She just went.

**A/n:  Title could be subject to change as the story progresses. By around 4am, if we don't fall asleep we may have another chapter. Read and Review please. ^^ **


	2. If it's Family

The next few days progressed without anything interesting happening, except that Snape refused to speak to Jess, and that Jess walked out of Care of Magical creatures when she realised that she had to spend this lesson with the Gryffindors as well. Jess had also developed a mutual friendship with Draco, which involved discovering how creative they could be with their hallway greetings.

"Hey bitch!" Draco would yell at her, on the way to Potions.

"Good morning, Fucknut!" Jess would reply impulsively. Apart from that, Jess generally kept away from the student body, occasionally harassing Ron's toe, or ramming a student who happened to insult Snape when she was passing. Although Jess still considered her potions master to be an inheritance, not family.

A few members of the Gryffindor party gathered enough courage to question her about her relations to the evil Potions Master. Well 2 Gryffindors actually, flanked by a whining Hermione.

"This is NOT funny just leave her alone, why can't you leave her alone?! Leave me alone!.."

"Leave you alone?!" The pair cried incredulously.

"Well someone has to watch you two babies, honestly I feel like your mother sometimes." Hermione rattled off at them. Harry and Ron merely rolled their eyes as they approached Jess in the Great Hall.

"Hey you!." Jess heard them. That didn't mean she was going to recognise their presence.

"You black eyes!" Ron yelled. "You brown hair!" Harry added thoughtfully. Jess gritted her teeth and made her way to her usual seat at the Slytherin table, away from everyone else, resisting the urge to hurl something at them.Ron struggled against Hermiones grip on the handful of robes she'd captured. 

"Gildroy Lockhart." Ron said snidely. Hermione squeaked and let go to have a good chance of hitting him in the head. Poking Jess in the ribs he continued speaking. "Hey I was talking to you."

Draco looked over warily, "Bloody prats.."

Jess sighed, "Butt out, wanker."

Draco looked bemused, "Whatever you say wench." With that he turned back around. Jess turned and glared pointedly at Ron.

"Is there something I can help you with? Your toe need any more swelling?"

"Jeez, thanks for reminding me. What the hell is your problem?"

Foot steps stopped behind Ron.

".. Hell will seem like paradise compared with the problem I'll be giving you Mr Weasley." The voice could only belong to one man.

Ron squeaked in quite an un-masculine way whirling around to face the notorious Slytherin head. 

"I want you to return to your table momentarily or you'll be in detention for the rest of the semester."

Draco muttered happily.. "Skiddadle!"

And that Ron did. After the annoying little Gryffindors had departed, and Draco had gone back to minding his _own_ business, Jess spoke coldly and quietly to Snape.

"You didn't have to do that, you know."

"I'll do what I like." He snapped irritably.

Jess flushed, "That is sadly apparent! But if you make such appraised decisions, then why the hell did you go and do something that stupid? Might I add that this is going to mean shit for the both of us later?"

"What makes you think that anything to do with you? Did you think I was defending you? Well you were sadly mistaken child."

"Well," Jess sniffed, "Whether or not you were defending me doesn't matter. Either way, that's how everyone's going to see it. Just because you didn't say that with any intentions of me in mind, doesn't mean people aren't going to make assumptions."

"I have been teaching here a lot longer than you have been here as a student." He told her, sick of this banter. "That means absolutely nothing to anyone, apart from Ronald Weasly deserves some sort of punishment for his stupidity. The world does not revolve around you, though despite the persona you present I'm sure you already know that. So, by talking to me now you have in fact put the 'shit' on yourself. A term familiar with this situation is hypocrisy. Keep your mouth out of trouble, as it obvious you lack respect for your elders. I will not argue with you any further, nor will I converse with you."

Jess was livid. She couldn't remember the last time she had despised anyone this badly. Jess rose from her seat, breathing like a dragon. "You," She said coldly, "You insensitive _prick_! A thousand years would not make me hold any respect for you! As of yet I have not discovered one person who holds any form of respect for you! _It would be of uttermost pleasure to me if I never saw you **again**!_" Upon the stress on the last word Jess turned heel and stalked out of the hall, looking as if she might just breathe fire, and hating _Professor_ Snape for all she was worth.

__

Professor Snape however didn't appear to even care, he continued in the direction he was going before encountering Weasley, quite calmly. The wonderful part of his front was he didn't specialize in facial expressions, and could be nearing murdering someone or snapping without making sign of it. He was close to both.

It crept up on them like an axe murderer. One minute it was hot, the next Jess awoke to snow. Her heart sank right into the earth's core. It was soon going to be Christmas. Jess sighed forlornly as she realised the inevitable.

She was going to have to get _him_ a present.

And one for Draco. He called her cheese brain yesterday. That's got to be worth a medal. Anyway, whatever the reasons, one freezing cold, windy, and generally unpleasant weekend Jess found herself standing at the front door, wrapped up in her cloak, and waiting irritably for everyone else to arrive so as she could get to Hogsmeade, buy her presents and get back again.

Glaring at nothing particular from his office window Snape thought to himself about the insolent child. _Ignorant naïve girl._ Running a finger through gathering dust he wondered just how long his brother and sister in law had been dead, looking for somewhere to blame her attitude on, being a spoilt conceited only child.. or a neglected orphan.

He shuddered at the thought of his niece, a Snape, having to live in an orphanage. A Snape was above that. But then, being the closest living relative to her, it would have been with him or an orphanage. How the hell would he raise a girl like that?!

So alike they'd end up killing each other, not that he'd admit to that.

Still trying to fathom why he hadn't been contacted he sighed as only really one time he had been out of reach.. And that time… had been a long time. Of course, the choices he'd made once were always bound to come back in a mistake of this scale.

Wandering around Hogsmeade on her own, Jess had found a suitable gift for Draco – A large, leather bound, empty book and a new quill. Something for him to write any whimsical insults he came up with, so as he'd never had to resort to 'cheese brain' ever again. However, she was yet to find anything for _dearest_ Snape. As she passed a bookstore, a memory of her very, _very_ distant past came floating back. Her uncle sitting alone in an armchair reading a derelict old book. Jess would have bet money that the book no longer existed. And that Snape hadn't bothered getting another. So into the bookshop she went, wandering directly up to the counter.

"Cieo Practicum, if you have it." Jess demanded tartly.

The bookstore owner raised an eyebrow, "That's an old book you're asking for, missy." He bustled out the back, and Jess could still hear his voice drifting out from the store rooms, "Don't stock many anymore. Hard to find. Plus no one wants it. All in Latin, it is." Jess didn't say anything, but took the book from the elderly, plump man and paid him, walking out in the same fashion in which she entered.

Christmas… cursed it was.

Now that the students were trumping back from Hogsmeade Severus had retreated to his own personal chambers. On a small desk in his chambers sat a photo, well there were a few, shock horror, but this one in particular held his sister in law and her 5 year old daughter. Who couldn't keep in the frame. Bouncing across she waved energetically. He raised an eyebrow and waved politely. He remembered a 10 minute argument he'd had with a dead person in a truly enchanted photo. Never underestimate inane old men in photos.. Jess bounced through the photo again, escaping the efforts of her mother. Eventually Hannah herself had left the photo after the little girl. He turned the now blank scene in the frame down to the desk and slipped into a chair fatigued.

Christmas morning dawned irritatingly bright, but still freezing. Jess moaned loudly and fell out of bed with a thunk, cursing the daylight. Then she realised it was Christmas. That didn't change her mood in the slightest. She still wanted to go back to sleep.

In fact, she had nearly done so when a foot connected forcefully with her posterior.

"Merry Christmas, bitch face!"

Jess moaned again, "Fuck off, daisy. Unless you're a transvestite you shouldn't be here!"

"Damnit, bitch face knows my secret!" Draco sneered, "Open your presents, then get your fat ass down to breakfast." Jess muttered something incoherent before sitting up.

"Presents?" Jess drawled, "Nice try Daisy Dipshit." Jess turned back to her bed and had to eat her words. Two parcels sat forlornly on the end of her bed. "Holy Jesus."

Draco sniggered smugly, before Jess shut him up by stuffing his own Christmas present into his face. Jess picked up the present which was obviously from Draco, which wasn't hard to pick because the wrapping job had been done very…roughly. Jess pulled out the black necklace with red stones hanging off it and eyed it suspiciously.

"What did you do to it, moron?"

Draco made a sound of fake offence. "You insult me, midget! I wouldn't waste the time and effort!"

Jess smirked, "True. A little shit like you _wouldn't_ bother." 

Draco glanced at his gift and smirked. "Trust you. What do you think I'm gonna use it for, cheese brain?"

Jess scowled, "So you never have to use such a shit house insult as 'cheese brain' again. Dipshit."

Draco yawned obviously and trundled off to breakfast, with a "See you, Slut," by way of goodbye. Jess sighed and turned to her single other gift, looking rather lonely and half buried underneath her sheets.

"If this is a joke, I'm going to strangle someone." She muttered, picking it up.

The gift was wrapped neatly, obviously magically done. The sender, Severus, would probably kill himself if he found out he couldn't do something magically. A small card read, _Merry Christmas –Severus _A man of many words, an educated articulate man came up with a 3 worded holiday greeting. _How _touching. How Ironic he had such an extended vocabulary when we was out of his tree at her. Encased in a fine silver film was a single white rose, thornless of course, he was entrusting anything sharp into her possession.. It was enchanted as so it had been for more than 16 years, picked once from their garden at their residence in Richmond. He remembered it had been picked for her shortly after her birth. Along with that was a silver bracelet, encrusted with diamonds, enchanted too to change colour.

There was a letter too. Yes he'd composed further than Merry Christmas- Severus.

__

Jessica

Merry Christmas, once more. I should probably explain the gifts. _Following your birth and christening a white rose was picked from_ _a rose garden you're grandmother was fond of when she was alive. When the family relocated,_ there was a pause where he was tempted to add and died off _the rose was left behind. It was enchanted by your mother and father and has lasted this long. The bracelet however was expensive, so I don't want you picking the diamonds out and selling them to a pawnbroker. _

-Uncle Severus.

As long as she didn't post this all over the school, he said what he wanted, what the last few sparks of goodness and kindness couldn't burn. Jess smiled, and wondered how her uncle liked his Christmas gift.

At that moment the Professor was running his hand over the book's cover pensively. His copy had gone to pieces, and was a rather large base for his knowledge. He might have smiled, if he remembered how.

It seems that everyone had decided Christmas at home was better than Christmas at school. Except, that is, Jess, Draco, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and about seven other students whom none of the above ever bothered with. Because it was a small crowd, once again a single table had been set. Severus and Jess were, naturally, late. They nearly literally ran into each other just outside the great hall.

"Um," Jess mumbled. Snape just raised an eyebrow, "Ah to hell with it! Thanks." Jess threw her arms around his middle. He looked around the entrance hall in a paranoid manner before raising a hand and patting her on the back awkwardly, pulling back discreetly.


End file.
